Finding Heather

Year 7 Chapter 1

 Slamming the door on their retreating shape, Heather retrieved her rucksack, broomstick, and Hedwig's cage from her bedroom, and set them by the front door. She wandered through the empty house, lost in memory. Most of them were bad, full of neglect by her family, but there had been some highlights. Coming back into the hallway, she pulled open the door to the cupboard under the stairs that used to be her bedroom, remembering how it was there that she had first felt the desire to be pretty like a girl all those years ago. It amazed her to realize that she had managed to make that dream to true.

 An earsplitting roar from outside made her spin around, wand drawn and aimed at the closed front door. More noises from the back garden had her moving stealthily into the kitchen. Even though her mother's protection made it impossible for Voldemort or his followers to attack her here, it never hurt to be wary. Out in the murky evening blurred shapes were moving around the Dursley's pristine lawn. One by one the disillusionment charms faded away to reveal her friends climbing off broomsticks, descending from thestrals or clambering from astride a gigantic blue motorbike. Hermione and Ron were the first to reach the door, followed closely by Fred, George, Mr. Weasley, Remus Lupin, Tonks, her hair having returned to it's bubble gum pink shade, Kingsley, Bill, Fleur, Mundungus Fletcher, Mad-Eye Moody, and lastly, Hagrid.

 Heather had not been expecting such a large group, the last she had heard it was just going to be Moody taking her with side-along apparition. She sprang to unlock the door and welcomed everyone inside with many cries of greeting and hugs.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked the group at large

"Well, we heard this place was empty and decided to throw a party" joked Fred from against the living room wall.

"Yeah," added George, peering at a rather horrible picture of Heather's family, "We've been thinking this place could use a bit of...redecoration."

"Nip it." Ordered Mad-Eye, dropping several large bags onto the kitchen table and staring around the room with both of his eyes.

 The plan he laid out was simple, or so it seemed. The Order had given over a dozen houses the best protection they could in an attempt to trick the Death Eater's in where they were planning on hiding Heather. She, riding with Hagrid on Sirius's old motorbike, would be travelling to Tonk's parents house, then on to the Burrow by portkey. The goal was to keep the Death Eater's guessing until she was safely within the protective charms, assuming they even got wind of this happening tonight.

 When Mad-Eye finished talking, Heather asked "That's all well and good, but won't it be pretty obvious where I'm going when we all go flying off in the same direction no matter how many different options there are for me to go?"

"Ahh, forgot to mention the key part" Mad-Eye grunted. He extracted a small hipflask from a pocket of his coat filled with a think, muddy grey liquid that Heather recognized instantly, having taken it twice in her life. Her protests that there was no way she would let her friends take the risk of looking like her died quickly as Hermione stepped up behind her and ripped several hairs from her head. Her objections had been planned for well in advance.

"Sorry" Hermione muttered as she dropped the hairs into the potion.

The contents of the flask glowed for a moment before turning pure gold. Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus lined up next to the table and one by one took a swig of Polyjuice potion. With a thrill of fear, Heather watched them all transform into identical copies of her body, including the many changes it had gone through since starting her potions almost a year ago.

"Wow, we're identical!" exclaimed the twins at the same time.

Fleur was looking down at her chest quizzically. "'Arry, why do you have-"